Swivel assembly

ABSTRACT

A SWIVEL ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PAIR OF CLAMPING MEMBERS HAVING ENGAGEMENT SURFACES ADAPTED TO CLAMPINGLY ENGAGE THE MAGAZINE, BARREL OR THE LIKE OF A RIFLE OR SIMILAR FIREARM? MEANS ON ONE OF THE CLAMPING MEMBERS DEFINING A GENERALLY DOVETAIL RECESS AND MEANS ON THE OTHER OF THE MEMBERS DEFINING A GENERALLY DOVETAIL PROJECTION ADAPTED TO BE SLIDABLY RECEIVED WITHIN THE RECESS FOR MAINTAINING THE CLAMPING MEMBERS IN A PRESELECTED ORIENTATION? SCREW MEANS ON ONE OF THE CLAMPING MEMBERS ADAPTED TO BE THREADABLY RECEIVED WITHIN A BORE FORMED IN THE OTHER OF THE MEMBERS FOR BIASING THE MEMBERS INTO CLAMPING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ASSOCIATED FIREARM, AND A LOOP-SHAPED MEMBER DEPENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM ONE OF THE MEMBERS AND PIVOTABLY CONNECTED THERETO FOR OPERATIVELY SECURING AN ASSOCIATED BELT SLING OR THE LIKE TO THE ASSEMBLY.

Jam. 26, 1971 wlLLlAMS r 3,557,485

SWIVEL ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 14, 1968 United States Patent Oifi 3,557,485 SWIVEL ASSEMBLY Paul D. Williams, Davison, Mich., assignor to Williams Gun Sight Co., Davison, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Oct. 14, 1968, Ser. No. 767,266 Int. Cl. F41c 23/02 US. Cl. 42-85 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A swivel assembly comprising a pair of clamping members having engagement surfaces adapted to clampingly engage the magazine, barrel or the like of a rifle or similar firearm; means on one of the clamping members defining a generally dovetail recess and means on the other of the members defining a generally dovetail projection adapted to be slidably received within the recess for maintaining the clamping members in a preselected orientation; screw means on one of the clamping members adapted to be threadably received within a bore formed in the other of the members for biasing the members into clamping engagement with the associated firearm, and a loop-shaped member depending downwardly from one of the members and pivotably connected thereto for operatively securing an associated belt sling or the like to the assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is desirable that swivel assemblies for use in connecting belt slings and the like to firearms such as rifles, shotguns and the like, be adapted for universal application on firearms of different sizes and configurations. It is also desirable that such swivel assemblies be designed so as to be easily mounted and dismounted, as well as being adapted for adjustment longitudinally of the associated firearm so as to accommodate the specific requirements of various firearm operators. It is, of course, also desirable that swivel assemblies of the aforedescribed type be of a simple design so that they may be economically manufactured and easily assembled.

It is, accordingly, a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved swivel assembly which generally satisfies the above requirements.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a new and improved swivel assembly that will find universality of application on various types of firearms.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a swivel assembly of the above character which may be mounted on either a barrel or tubular magazine of a firearm.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved swivel assembly of the above character which comprises a pair of clamping members adapted to clampingly engage a portion of the associated firearm, and which further includes means for positively maintaining the clamping members in a preselected orientation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a swivel assembly of the above type which may be conveniently adjusted longitudinally of the associated firearm.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved swivel assembly which is of an extremely simple design, is easy to assemble and economical to commercially manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

3,557,485 Patented Jan. 26, 1971 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The swivel assembly of the present invention generally comprises a pair of clamping members adapted to clampingly engage the barrel or tubular magazine of a rifle or similar type firearm. The clamping members are provided with generally cylindrical engagement surfaces of a complementary configuration with respect to the portion of the associated firearm with which the members are clampingly engaged. One of the clamping members is formed with a generally dovetail-shaped recess portion extending transversely or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (barrel) of the associated firearm, while the other of the clamping members is formed with a generally dovetail-shaped projection adapted to be slidably received within the recess of the first mentioned clamping member. The recess and projection are designed to operatively position the clamping members such that the engagement surfaces thereof are coaxially oriented and to positively prevent any relative rotational or longitudinal movement between the clamping members.

A transversely extending screw or similar fastening element is provided on one of the clamping members and is adapted to be threadably received within a suitable bore formed in the other of said members in a manner such that'upon proper tightening of the screw, the members are drawn together so as to clampingly engage the firearm. A generally oval or loop-shaped member is provided on and depends downwardly from one of the members and means is provided for pivotably mounting this loopshaped member so that the same may receive and support one end of an associated belt sling or the like for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversely of the axis of the firearm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a typical firearm having the new and improved swivel assembly of the present invention in operative association therewith;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the swivel assembly illustrated within the circle 2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, a conventional firearm or rifle 10 is shown as comprising a main stock section 12, forearm 14, receiver 16, barrel 18 and tubular magazine 20 extending parallel to the barrel 18 and spaced slightly therebelow. The rifle 10 is provided with a conventional belt-type sling 22 which is connected at the rearward end thereof by any suitable means to the main stock section 12, as seen at 24. The forward end of the sling 22 is adapted to be connected to the rifle 10 at a position forwardly of the forearm 14 by means of a new and improved swivel assembly, generally designated 26, embodying the principles of the present invention, the construction and operation of which is hereinafter described in detail.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the swivel assembly 26 comprises a pair of clamping members 28 and 30 which are adapted to clampingly engage the laterally opposite sides of the rifle magazine 20. The clamping member 30 comprises a transversely extending base section 32, which is arranged substantially below the magazine 20, and an upwardly extending side section 34 that is formed integral of the base section 32 and projects upwardly therefrom along one side of the magazine 20, as best seen in FIG.

3. The clamping members 28, are provided with generally flat, vertically and longitudinally extending sides 36 and 38, respectively, that terminate at the uppermost portions thereof in generally flat, horizontally extending upper surfaces 40 and 42, respectively. The confronting portions of the clamping members 28, 30 are formed with engagement surfaces 44, 46, respectively, which are of a complementary configuration with respect to the outer periphery of the magazine 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the magazine 20 is of a tubular or cylindrical configuration, and accordingly, the surfaces 44, 46 lie along the surface of an imaginary circular cylinder having the same diameter as the outer diameter of the magazine 20, with the result that the surfaces 44, 46 are adapted to contiguously engage the outer periphery of the magazine 20. It will be noted that the circumferential length of the surfaces 44, 46 is such that the clamping members 28, 30 peripherally engage a major portion of the periphery of the magazine 20, and at the very least, engage a substantial portion of the periphery of the magazine 20 located above a horizontal plane extending through the center thereof.

In accordance with the present invention, the clamping members 28, 30 are provided with means for positively preventing any relative rotational or longitudinal movement therebetween, which means thereby functions to assure that the engagement surfaces 44, 46 of the members 28, 30 are properly oriented so as to contiguously engage the periphery of the magazine 20 upon mounting the swivel assembly 26 thereon. More particularly, the aforesaid means is provided by a generally upwardly extending projection 48 formed on the base section 32 of the clamping member 30, and by generally upwardly extending recess portion or recess 50 formed along the lower side of the clamping member 28 and adapted to slidingly engage the projection 48. The recess 50 and projection 48 are preferably of a complementary configuration, as will hereinafter be described, and extend transversely of the longitudinal axis of the rifle 10, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. The projection 48 is preferably of a generally dovetail configuration and is defined by a pair of downwardly converging side surfaces 52 and 54 which blend into and are arranged coplanar of the lower sides of the clamping member 30 that taper downwardly toward a generally fiat bottom surface 56, as best seen in FIG. 2. The uppermost portions of the sides 52, 54 terminate at a generally flat or horizontally extending upper surface 58. The recess 50 is similarly of a generally dovetail configuration and is defined by a pair of downwardly converging side surfaces and 62 which terminate at their upper ends in a generally flat or horizontally extending surface 64. The surfaces 52, 54 and 58 defining the dovetail projection 48 are dimensioned with respect to the surfaces 60, 62 and 64 defining the recess 50 such that the projection 48 may be slidably received within the recess 50 in a smooth interference-free manner, whereby to provide for ease of assembly of the clamping members 28, 30.

The swivel assembly 26 is provided with means for biasing the clamping members 28, 30 into positive clamping engagement with the laterally opposite sides of the rifle magazine 20. Such means is preferably provided by a generally transversely extending screw, bolt or the like 66 which comprises an externally threaded shank section 68 that terminates at one end thereof in an enlarged diameter slotted head section 70. The clamping members 28, 30 are provided with aligned bores 72, 74, respectively, the former of which is internally threaded so as to threadably engage the screw shank section 68. The bore 74 is formed with an enlarged diameter counterbore 76 and is thereby adapted to have the head section of the screw 66 received or countersunk therewithin. It will be seen that upon proper rotation of the screw 66, the shank section 68 thereof will be threadably advanced within the bore 72 and will thereby cause the clamping members 28, 30 to be drawn toward one another such that the engagement surfaces 44, 46 will be biased into clamping engagement with the periphery of the magazine 20. Similarly, proper rotation of the screw 66 will permit the clamping members 28, 30 to be biased away from one another, whereby to provide for convenient dismounting of the assembly 26 from the magazine 20.

The swivel assembly 26 is provided with means adapted to have the forward end of the sling 22 threaded or looped therethrough, whereby to secure said forward end of the sling 22 to the forward end of the rifle 10. Such means is provided by a generally oval-shaped member 78 which comprises a horizontally extending bottom section 80, generally C-shaped or arcuate end sections 82, 84, and generally horizontally extending upper sections 86 and 88. The member 78 is adapted to be secured to the base section 32 of the clamping member 30 by means of a generally vertically extending mounting stud member 90 comprising an upwardly extending, externally threaded shank section 92 and a lower, enlarged diameter head section 94 which is formed with a pair of aligned bores 96 and 98 on the opposite sides thereof adapted to receive the inner ends of the sections 86, 88 of the member 80. Preferably, the bores 96, 98 are dimensioned such that the member 78 may pivot about a generally horizontally extending axis defined by the bores 96, 98 and upper sections 86, 88 of the member 78. The shank section 92 of the mounting stud 90 is adapted to be threadably received within a suitable internally threaded bore 100 which is formed in the base section 32 of the clamping member 30 at a position wherein the member 78 is aligned with the center of the magazine 20 when the clamping members 28, 30 are oriented in the position illustrated in FIG. 3.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a new and improved swivel assembly 26 adapted to effectively and positively secure one end of the belt-like sling or the like to an associated firearm. A particular feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the swivel assembly 26 may be mounted at any longitudinal position along the tubular magazine 20 of the associated rifle 10, and that said assembly 26 will find universality of application since the clamping members 28, 30 may, within predetermined limits, be clampingly engaged with tubular magazines of diflerent diameters. Another feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the swivel assembly 26 may be readily clampingly engaged with the periphery of a rifle barrel instead of a tubular magazine in the event the associated rifle is of a type which utilizes a clip-type magazine or has no magazine at all. Such a feature is enhanced by the fact that the upper ends of the clamping members 28, 30, when clampingly engaged with a rifle barrel, such as the barrel 18 of the rifle 10, will not in any way interfere with the line of sighting of either conventional iron sights, peep sights or telescopic sights. Hence, the swivel assembly 26 will find particularly useful application on a wide variety of different types of firearms. Still another feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the swivel assembly 26 of the present invention may be conveniently mounted and dismounted from the associated rifle in the event it is de sired to add or remove the sling for any particular reason. Moreover, the assembly 26 will be seen to be of an extremely simple design, and hence will be economical to manufacture and convenient to assemble.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment illustrated herein is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the present invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a swivel assembly for securing a belt sling or the like to a portion of a firearm,

clamping means including first and second clamping members clampingly engageable with said portion of the firearm,

an elongated recessed guideway on one of said members and means on the other of said members received within said guideway for maintaining said clamping members in a preselected orientation with respect to each other, and

means for operatively securing the belt sling to the assembly.

2. A swivel assembly as set forth in claim 1 which includes means for urging said clamping members into clamping engagement with said portion of the firearm.

3. A swivel assembly as set forth in claim 1 which includes means on said clamping members defining confronting engagement surfaces of substantially complementary shape with respect to the portion of the firearm clampingly engaged by said members.

4. A swivel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means on said other of said members comprises projection means slidably received within said recessed guideway.

5. A swivel assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said recessed guideway and said projection means are of a substantially complementary configuration.

6. A swivel assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for urging said clamping members into clamping engagement includes screw means on one of said member and engageable with the other of said members for biasing said members toward one another.

7. A swivel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for operatively securing the belt sling to the assembly comprises a loop defining member and means for securing the same to one of said clamping members.

8. A swivel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said clamping members are formed with engagement surfaces defined by a common cylindrical surface and are adapted to clampingly engage a cylindrical portion of the firearm.

9. In a swivel assembly for securing a belt sling or the like to a firearm,

clamping means including first and second clamping members clampingly engageable with the firearm,

one of said clamping members being formed with a generally dovetail-shaped recess extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the firearm,

the other of said clamping members being formed with a generally dovetail-shaped projection slidably received within said recess for maintaining said clamping members in a preselected orientation relative to one another, and

means for operatively securing the belt sling to the assembly.

10. In a swivel assembly for securing a belt sling or the like to a firearm,

clamping means including first and second clamping members clampingly engageable with the firearm,

said clamping members being formed with engagement surfaces defined by a common cylindrical surface,

one of said clamping members being formed with a generally dovetail-shaped recess extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the firearm, and the other of said clamping members being formed with a generally dovetail-shaped projection adapted to be slidably received within said recess,

one of said clamping members also being formed with a transversely extending bore and the other of said clamping members being provided with screw means threadably engageable with said bore for biasing said engagement surfaces into clamping engagement with a cylindrical portion of the firearm, and

a generally oval-shaped member extending transversely of said longitudinal axis of the firearm and pivotably connected to one of said clamping members for securing the belt sling to the assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner C. T. JORDAN, Assistant Examiner 

